What Is Methamphetamine?

Street names:

Speed, Meth, Crystal, Crank, Tweak, Go-fast, Ice, Glass, Tina, Dope

Methamphetamine is an extremely dangerous drug that’s currently part of the overall drug crisis in the United States. Sharing the spotlight with benzodiazepines and opioids, meth has gained serious popularity. While it was once only found in the western United States and parts of the Midwest, meth is now found in nearly every city in America, thanks to the Mexican Cartel.

Methamphetamine is created after a series of dangerous chemical reactions and is usually synthesized in clandestine labs that are known to burn down or explode. One of the main active ingredients in meth is pseudoephedrine, sold under the brand name of Sudafed, a common nasal decongestant. The other chemicals used to produce meth are ignitable, corrosive, toxic, and can cause fires, produce toxic vapors, and damage the environment. While addicts can be quick to smoke, snort, or shoot meth, they don’t necessarily realize or care that any single ingredient used to make methamphetamine can actually kill you if consumed on its own.

Methamphetamine can give users a false sense of energy, causing them to push their bodies faster and further than it is meant to go. Meth also dramatically increases your heart rate and blood pressure, therefore increasing your risk of stroke or cardiac arrest.

Meth’s effects last for a significantly long time. A user can snort one line, smoke one bowl, or do one shot and be awake for days on end. It’s not uncommon for methamphetamine addicts to stay awake for 5-7 days at a time. The sleep deprivation on top of the strong stimulant often results in an intense psychosis. A user who has been awake on meth for days can become extremely agitated and paranoid, thinking police are hiding in the bushes or that there are hidden cameras watching them. Meth can also cause users to feel as though bugs are crawling all over them, so they will commonly pick at their skin to the point of causing open wounds and sores.

Since meth gets a user so amped up and high, when the drug begins to wear off it can cause a crash, resulting in severe depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideations or thoughts. When the drug completely wears off, a user will usually sleep for about 2-3 days straight.

Know the Signs of Methamphetamine Use

Insomnia

Loss of appetite

Increased physical activity

Increased sensitivity to noise

Neurotic behaviors like scratching and picking

Irritability, dizziness, or confusion

Psychosis

Paranoia

Shakiness

Dilated pupils

Tooth decay (commonly referred to as “meth mouth”).

Skin lesions and frequent sores that take a long time to heal. Not only does meth naturally inhibit the body’s ability to fight off minor infection, but it can also cause addicts to nervously pick at their skin until it bleeds. Chronic users often suffer from the hallucination that they have insects crawling beneath their flesh.

Q & A

Q) Is methamphetamine less harmful than crack, cocaine, or heroin?

A) No.Some users get hooked the first time they snort, smoke, or inject meth. Because it can be made from lethal ingredients like battery acid, drain cleaner, lantern fuel, and antifreeze, there is a greater chance of suffering a heart attack, stroke, or serious brain damage with this drug than with other drugs.

Q) What are some of the effects that meth users may experience?

A) People who take meth can become paranoid, confused, and aggressive; they can die from overheating and convulsions. Over time, meth users risk brain damage, serious physical deterioration and even death.

Q) Since methamphetamine is produced by several different chemicals that are not illegal, is meth illegal?